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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 23 april 2019

Trump, business organization sue Democratic House chairman

By ERIC TUCKER and JONA- dent politically," the lawsuit so would break decades
THAN LEMIRE states. of precedent, which estab-
Associated Press Cummings, a Maryland lished that the legislature's
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- Democrat and chairman investigative power is not
dent Donald Trump and his of the House Committee limited to just researching
business organization sued on Oversight and Reform, possible legislation. Trump
the Democratic chairman issued the subpoena ear- advisers have argued that
of the House oversight lier this month to Mazars the newest requests are
committee on Monday USA, an accountant for the fishing expeditions, broad-
to block a subpoena that president and Trump Orga- based inquires meant
seeks years of the presi- nization. He said Monday to extend beyond what
dent's financial records. that the complaint "reads should be in the investiga-
The complaint became the more like political talking tors' purview in order to em-
latest front in the intensi- points than a reasoned le- barrass Trump and could
fying battle between the gal brief, and it contains a set a dangerous precedent
president and the Demo- President Donald Trump, right, waves as he and first lady Me- litany of inaccurate infor- for future chief executives.
lania Trump board Air Force One prior to departure from Palm
crats who control the House Beach International Airport, Sunday, April 21, 2019, in West Palm mation." The complaint also says the
of Representatives and are Beach Fla. "The President has a long his- subpoena seeks to investi-
committed to investigating Associated Press tory of trying to use baseless gate events that occurred
Trump and his finances. The lawsuits to attack his adver- before Trump was presi-
complaint, filed in federal harassing Trump and wield- legislation that would ac- saries, but there is simply no dent and "has no legiti-
court in Washington, said ing their new majority in tually benefit Americans, valid legal basis to interfere mate legislative purpose." It
the subpoena from Rep. Eli- Congress to try to stain the House Democrats are sin- with this duly authorized says, "Democrats are using
jah Cummings "has no legit- president's standing. gularly obsessed with find- subpoena from Congress," their new control of con-
imate legislative purpose" "Instead of working with the ing something they can Cummings said. "The White gressional committees to
and accuses Democrats of President to pass bipartisan use to damage the Presi- House is engaged in un- investigate every aspect of
precedented stonewalling President Trump's personal
on all fronts, and they have finances, businesses, and
refused to produce a single even his family."
document or witness to the Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's
Oversight Committee dur- lawyers, said in a statement
ing this entire year." Monday that "we will not
The lawsuit accuses Cum- allow presidential harass-
mings of failing to consult ment to go unanswered."
with Republicans on the Neither the White House
panel before issuing the nor Trump Organization
subpoena and says he re- responded to requests for
lied on the testimony of comment.
Trump's former personal The lawsuit comes amid a
attorney, Michael Cohen, widespread effort by the
who told lawmakers in Feb- White House and the presi-
ruary that some of Trump's dent's attorneys to refuse to
financial statements con- cooperate with congressio-
tained inaccuracies. Co- nal requests for information
hen pleaded guilty last year and records.
to lying to Congress in 2017 Earlier this month, the Trea-
about a real estate deal in- sury Department missed
volving Trump in Moscow. a deadline to hand over
"The Cohen hearing was a Trump's tax returns to the
partisan stunt, not a good- House Ways and Means
faith effort to obtain ac- Committee. A new dead-
curate testimony from a line was set for Tuesday
reliable witness," the lawsuit but there has been no in-
says. dication that Trump's team
The suit, in a sense, amounts plans to cooperate. A
to Trump — the leader of White House spokesman
the executive branch of referred requests for com-
government — asking the ment to one of the presi-
judicial branch to stop the dent's personal attorneys,
legislative branch from in- who did not immediately
vestigating his past. To do respond.q